Korak revisited (and not for the last time)

This is how far I got with my first korak. When it is all full of pins, sewing it is like operating a fully awake porcupine. But the method of covering every cut line with a folded one makes arranging the block a free experimental game instead of demanding a plan from the start -- which has been my greatest obstacle on the way to a quilt. I simply can't work if I know what my project will look like in the end. If I do, there is no point in starting the whole thing.
This is the basic confession of my craft.
Original Koraks don't get quilted, although some might need a little quilting, like the velvet patches -- 3rd link below . I tried some cautious quilting with small stitches on the flower fabric in the bottom block. What do you think? To quilt or not to quilt?

Here are some links of more koraks.

Quilters' Muse Virtual Museum
A 19th century piece
A Korak with velvet

The Moon tonight

The moon, almost full, but with an ever so slight shadow on his right side that will be nibbling away the disc. Do you have some rule to know if it is waxing or waning, once the moon has become a crescent?

My first Korak

Yes. I tried it: My first korak piece. The method is simple, but does require some consideration. The cut edges are covered flat by folded edges. They are connected by hem stitches. They should be quite small and invisible, but I couldn't resist to use a thread which adds the look of tiny beads. It is so much fun, and it meets the needs of spontaneously working quilters. "Forget whatever you have known about piecing", the author of the book says. The book is in German and English. I read it twice, it is very good. The original koraks weren't quilted, and they don't have to be. The double layering of the pieces provides enough substance; I was surprised how sturdy this piece feels in my hands. As it is a lap technique, you don't have to worry about all pieces to be equal size; you just add more, working up from the bottom and from the middle to the edges. The cut edges between blocks will be bridged by both-side-folded, longer rectangles.




















J and I took a walk on Friday. In a park, we saw a small Ganesha shrine, and I offered a coin and rang the bell with J's job in mind. -- J's doctor signed him off sick on Tuesday till the end of the week. He will have to be okay until Sunday when he travels to Berlin for the interview on Monday. But he is sick because of all the trouble he had with his old job; the expectations now rather make him feel better. The shop where he may be working in the future -- if it all fits and they pay enough -- is in this beautiful part of Hamburg, not far from canals leading to the Alster lake. The boat in the picture is regular traffic.


Jude, the Korak technique might be something for you, because it allows a quilt to grow naturally.